A well-known generic metal elastomer element for a metal elastomer bearing (DE 19 55 308 C3) consists of an inner cylindrical metal component to form a connection with a first component to be supported and two outer sheet metal shells that lie opposite to each other and partially overlap the inner cylindrical metal component, whereas a bonded elastomer body is mounted between the inner metal component and the two sheet metal shells. By applying a radial preload in the elastomer body, the metal elastomer element can be pressed into a pivot eye joint at a second mounted component.
In the manufactured state, the known metal elastomer element features a distance between the respective opposite longitudinal edges of the sheet metal shells, as well as a wedge-shaped longitudinal slot in the elastomer material in this area. In the mounted state, while pressed into the pivot eye joint, these longitudinal slots are closed and the edges of the longitudinal sheet metal shells lie against each other, resulting in a completely circular cylindrical elastomer annular body as well as a circulatory sheet metal sleeve. In the mounted state this would result in torsional spring characteristics that rise approximately linear above the operationally tolerable torsion angle. Moreover, because of the fact that in the mounted state the elastomer body forms a permanently closed circle, which is progressively increasing at larger torsion angles, the metal elastomer element is relatively hard.